Author's Note:
Hello y'all!
It's been brought to my attention that Irelia's full name with the new lore is: Xan Irelia, instead of Irelia Lito. My peeps, my pals, my buds; I started writing this fic a loooooong time ago and when I introduced Irelia to the story, the old Lore was still going around (you may notice the references to it, like how Soraka revived her!) So, just like with Diana's and Leona's, I've decided to mashup the old and new lores however it benefited my story. Think of the new Irelia, with the old one's name and background; She was never revived by Soraka in this story (we later found out that never happened, it was only a rumour) but she IS Irelia Lito in this story, just like her father was the best swordsman bruh Runeterra ever knew (I believe Leona mentions so in the beginning! Or at least pretty early on. Disregard that if she didn't lmfao but I'm like 83% sure I wrote that)
Also, I've seen some of u not liking the length of these chapters. It's bc these are quick, short snapshots of stuff that happens! It should start to get better now (don't blame me, blame the muses! lmfao)
Also, thanks to Khalid for giving each update scores (last one made me laugh hard) and shout out to my greek reader! love y'all!
Anyway, enjoy!
She felt like she was about to suffocate.
As if she had been underwater for too long, Riven felt like she was drowning.
She felt stares, she heard whispers, she saw fingers pointed at her.
She could hear accusations, see people recognizing her face, their unapproving whispers and cries for her death echoing in her ears.
With each step they took throughout the city, towards those slow elevators, she could see, sense, feel, hear, even smell and taste them.
Their disapproving looks, their angry glares and insulting murmurs.
That hand wrapped in red cloth gripped the broken blade tighter, pushing against her body as she sandwiched the weapon between her body and Leona's shield, desperate to hide it, for she feared they'd recognize her Runic Blade, as broken as it was.
The murmurs and whispers started to grow, to overwhelm her, to be too much for her to subtly manage.
She was currently walking alongside Diana, Leona walking closely behind them. She knew the guard that was guiding them was walking ahead and talking about something, though she wasn't sure why.
She tried to distract herself by watching the city.
She tried to be marvelled at how the Ionian houses blended into the scenery by being built around and through nature, instead of over it. Sharing the space instead of replacing their spot on it.
She tried to be amazed at the Lunar Revel celebrations happening all around them; people smiling and happily chatting, coming together for feasts, lighting up the night sky with fireworks, creating impressive, though temporary, works of art in the middle of the air, out of basically nothing, dancing to the folk music in an ethereal synchrony, moving past and around them as if they weren't really there, as if they couldn't really touch them.
She tried to be enticed by the rich smells that reached her nose, all of them being appealing to her, bringing memories of tastes to her mouth and making her salivate, hunger taking over.
She tried, but she failed.
Because everything she tried, brought a terrifying, old, broken memory instead.
She didn't see marvelous architecture, but destroyed one, burnt down to the ground by chemical substances, rotting the ground underneath it.
She didn't hear music nor happy chatter, for she could only hear the sounds of battle; flesh being cut open and screams of pain and terror echoing throughout the vast lands, bouncing against the mountain side.
She didn't smell a scent that would remind her of a tasty meal, because she could only remember the smell of charred flesh and rotten corpses, which brought the sourest of tastes to her mouth.
It made her want to vomit.
And she had made the stupid, stupid mistake of closing her eyes as they walked.
It was a stupid mistake for she should have learned a long time ago that, whenever these memories plagued her, it meant ghosts were out to play.
They were out for her blood. To haunt her into an early grave.
So, when she closed her eyes, she had basically given herself up.
She knew she'd be back in that barren battlefield once she opened them again. That much she knew.
So Riven kept walking with closed eyes and a tremble to her frame that she wasn't aware of.
She was certain she'd die of stress before ever seeing Irelia's face again.
And that was another thing. Irelia. Irelia Lito. The Captain of Ionia's Guard. The unofficial leader to Ionia, for everyone praised her so much that they did whatever she deemed logical, viable, positive for the Ionian lands and people.
Riven knew she wasn't ready to face her. She knew she'd never be ready, though. It was one of those things one has to face, no matter what, no matter how, whether one liked it or not.
So she would. She would face Irelia, whether she liked it or not.
Truth be told, she wanted to. She wanted to see Irelia and…
...And what? Apologise? Praise her? Lick her boots?
Ask her to finish what we had started so long ago?
Ask her if she also sees the ghosts?
She wasn't sure.
Maybe she didn't really want to see her. Maybe she didn't really want to face Irelia. Maybe she wouldn't do it, even if she felt like she had to.
She remembered, so many months ago, what she had told Diana.
I told her I sought redemption.
It had been the only word she had used to explain her motives, the reason why she'd travel to Ionia, why she'd help the Lunari.
But did she actually want redemption? Was it so easy, so simple?
Didn't she want empathy, instead?
Or maybe mercy, for someone to finish her off?
For the only person who deserved the pleasure to finish her off?
She hadn't noticed her breathing getting erratic.
She did notice Diana's hand press itself gently against her lower back, though.
It made her open her eyes out of instinct.
She was back in Ionia, with Diana by her side.
Her eyes stood still on silver ones for a moment.
Since when are you my anchor to this World?
Then Diana offered her a small smirk, the promise of keeping her secrets safe.
It was contagious, Riven had to admit.
And just like that, the ghosts were gone, the night claiming them and putting them to sleep again. Riven couldn't hear them, see them, sense them, smell them, taste them, feel them.
She could hear happiness, she could see wonders, smell good scents and taste rich foods.
She couldn't sense any stares at all, she couldn't feel any judgement against her self.
She could only feel Diana's hand on her back, her tumb going back and forth in a soothing motion.
It had all been a product of her own, tortuous imagination.
And Diana had managed to blank her mind with the touch of a hand.
So Riven snaked her hand, the one wrapped in white, around Diana's waist.
It made the silver haired woman make a sound on her throat, something like a laugh, as she allowed her hand to go further, resting on top of Riven's hipbone, bringing her closer.
Then Riven felt cold lips brush against her ear, "You're with me. The Noxian with the interesting company, remember?" She said with a smile on her face, switching languages so as to avoid being understood by unwanted listeners, recalling that same night Riven had been thinking of before.
Riven nodded. "Right."
And that had been the first word she had said ever since reaching Ionia.
Only Diana's hand on her body allowed her to stay on that reality, anchoring her to the ground and to the fact that she wasn't in that bloody massacre, but in Ionia's rebirth instead.
"This place is beautiful." She was caught off guard by Leona's loud voice, which made her flinch a bit, annoyance at the Ra-Horak making her frown.
She was too sensitive, too on edge, around here. She couldn't be her usual, composed self.
"We believe in balance as the most important force in life." The guard started explaining in a calm voice. "Balance between natural creations and those made by humanity dictates our construction, our buildup into a society. We refuse to destroy what's been created before us, so we blend our own creations into it, flowing with the natural course, thus reaching balance, equity."
"Harmony over dissonance." Diana mused out loud, "Sounds good to me."
"There are some extremists, of course." The guard said, a certain weight to his words. "People who'll go very far to reach balance, disrespecting other lives, other cultures, other ways of viewing existence. We do not approve, but just as we do with anything else that doesn't involve us, we stay away, neutral. Wouldn't want to disrupt our way of living because of a conflict that didn't belong to us."
"You avoid conflict at all costs."
Riven felt her right eyelid start to twitch uncomfortably.
The man looked at Leona over his shoulder, "We don't—"
"No, you do." Leona cut him off. "You refuse to get involved, you see innocents bleeding and suffering and refuse to bring the predatory criminals into justice, even if you have the tools and skills necessary to do so."
"Leona." Diana warned.
And it would be the only warning.
Riven felt a knot in her throat.
"Neutrality is not the best answer to all problems. It's actually never the answer." She said, growing heated, "Justice is not born of neutrality, never. Your people should do what is right—"
"Cut it out!"
They stopped moving, they stopped talking.
They all stared at Riven, her face red, her teeth on display as she basically growled at Leona.
"Ionia seeks balance, not justice. For balance to exist, the good must be accompanied with the bad. There must be a bit of justice and a bit of injustice. Such is the Ionian way, such is the equilibrium of life. The good, the bad. The dirty, the clean. The pure, the corrupt. A crime is committed and a crime is punished, but if the crime is outside the land of balance, then it's not punished, for it would mean more punishments than crimes have been delivered. Cut it out."
Riven then turned and looked at the guard. "Let's keep moving." And, silently, he obeyed and they continued walking.
Diana stared at Riven, concern on her features. She had sounded so small, such a contrast to the outburst from right before it...
...Yet, then again, she had spoken softly, doing her best to hide her accent.
She knew Riven was terrified they might have heard it, anyway.
That's why she's so quiet.
"You know a lot about the Ionian way, shieldmaiden." The guard mused out loud. "Are you by any chance from these lands?" He asked her.
And Riven knew it was a trick question. Sure, her accent had been veiled, but she didn't have the soft, Ionian tone. She didn't manage to mask her feelings like they did. Like she would do.
He was trying to interrogate her.
He knew the answer should be No, because she didn't sound Ionian. If she were to say Yes, then maybe something else entirely would happen. Maybe they'd try to put Diana against her, telling her that her shieldmaiden was a liar and she'd be better off without her. It would bring problems, conflict, it would draw them away from their main objective and mission. Then, if she were to say No, then he'd be conscious of Riven's knowledge of her own persona. He'd start asking more and more questions.
So Riven opted for a better solution. "I don't know where I'm from."
The guard seemed lost. "You don't know?"
Riven shook her head. "No. All I know is that I woke up in the middle of some forest, no memory of myself in my head."
"I still remember the night I found you." Diana added to her lie, a worried look on her face.
"And that's why you need Irelia to confirm her identity?" The guard asked, looking at them over his shoulder, seeing the both of them nod. "But why Irelia, of all people?"
Riven didn't know what to say-
"Because Irelia must have been the last person to see my shieldmaiden before me. They must know each other from before."
"How could you possibly know that, Chosen One?"
Diana chuckled. "I don't think you'd understand, for the matters of the spirit are beyond mortal comprehension."
The man was uncomfortable. Even Riven was. "Try me."
"I can sense magical connections and, being the Chosen Of The Moon, I'm aware of everything that happens during my Mistress' time, what everyone does, thinks, prays, says… dreams. My shieldmaiden is connected to Irelia, somehow. It's the only way I can find to explain why she dreams of the Captain and why the Captain dreams of her, too."
Riven's head moved so fast Diana swore the woman would get whiplash. She didn't say anything, just staring at the Empyrean with wide eyes.
Diana smiled.
"That's…"
"None of our concern." Diana finished for the guard. "Whatever is going on there, it should be handled between Irelia and my protegee."
And they all fell quiet, then, respecting her decision.
Diana decided she liked power, the ability to influence others with just her words.
Riven and Leona couldn't believe the fact that she had sounded believable. Hell, even they were tempted to believe in her words.
Weren't you a very, very bad liar? What happened?
And the fact that she had called Riven her protegee…
She was making a statement; whoever touched Riven would have to fight her, too.
And Diana could be deadly.
So they kept moving, finally reaching one of those slow elevators to the top.
All of them walked into one of the big platforms and, when the guard closed the small fence-like door behind them, the elevator started moving upwards.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
"How do these work?" Diana finally asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Manpower. At the top of the mountain, a small energy station has been built up. Those who work there give energy to the elevators, eight hours a day. Then, they switch."
"So there's three different shifts?"
"Exactly, Chosen."
Diana's brows rose. "That's… good, very good." She responded, because it was uncommon for her, the concept of having spare time during your day. Back in the Solari Temple, she had to be at the Elders' disposal all day, every day. You couldn't have a time you could call your own, not completely.
She looked at Leona and knew the warrior was thinking the same thing, for her eyes were locked on something afar, unfocused, her eyebrows basically on her hairline.
I'm guessing it's balance between duties and leisure?
It is.
It pleases me.
It pleases me too.
Then Riven was approaching the side of the elevator, her free hand on the railing, her eyes on the view.
It made Diana look at her, due to fear of what the troubled Noxian might do to herself, but then it made her look out into the horizon.
The view was breathtaking.
The crack of dawn was upon them, the sky being painted with different hues of red, orange and yellow as the sunlight rays were dispersed throughout the lands, making Ionia look like it was on fire, a magical kind of fire, one which fueled their spirits, their souls.
No aggression, no violence whatsoever. Only beauty, expanding over the flowing architectonic masterpieces, the temples on the cliffside that they moved past of, the gentle culture that had brought it all up.
The silence that took over them was powerful enough that not even the guard, already used to such views, not at all impressed, could break it.
So, in silence, they reached the top.
They got out of the elevator and their eyes immediately landed on the Placidium.
It was a big, imposing palace placed on the highest area of the mountain, with a long walk decorated with archways leading to its' gate.
No guards outside, except for those who had escorted them.
Riven gulped at the sight.
She had never been to the Placidium. That was very much true.
But she had seen its' form in Irelia's dancing blades.
She felt Diana's hand apply pressure to her body, making her realize that the Empyrean had never let go of her.
She looked at Diana, only to find Diana looking back, smiling at her.
"This way." The guard said, and they all moved.
And with each step, Riven's anxiety skyrocketed, her heart going faster, her breathing becoming shallower.
But with every step, Diana's hand grasped her tighter and tighter, shooing away her fears, calming down her beating heart, evening her breathing.
It was a deathmatch between Diana and her personal ghosts.
She couldn't believe Diana was managing to fend them off, if she was honest. She had never succeeded at that, even with the years of training, the years of fighting against them herself.
Then they reached the Placidium's doors.
The guard walked up to them and knocked. After a moment of silence, the doors were opened by two guards with long, deadly looking spears.
Clearly, they were a much higher rank.
"Yes?" One of them asked in a stern voice.
The guard who had been escorting them bowed. "I've come here escorting the Chosen Of The Moon, for she had requested an audience with Captain Lito." The guards at the door, at his words, looked at Diana. Then at Leona.
Then at Riven.
"And who are the other two?" He asked.
"Leona, The Chosen Of The Sun, and Diana's shieldmaiden, whose identity has been forgotten by its' owner. Diana Of The Moon claims only our Captain can recognize her. She has seen it on the stars."
"Is that the motive for the audience?"
"Yes, sir."
The high-rank guard looked at Diana, then at Riven, then at the guard who had escorted them once more. He was making his decision whether to let these people in or not.
Finally, he gave his answer. "Very well. You may leave, soldier. We will take it from here."
The guard bowed again, then quietly made his way back to his post.
"If you may, My Chosen, follow me." The guard said, talking directly to Diana.
It irked Leona.
Nevertheless, all of them walked behind him as he guided them through the palace.
The ceiling was high, making the elegant rooms echoey, something that diana subtly tried by talking a bit louder to the guard as she asked, "What's the Placidium for?"
"Before the Noxian attack, the Placidium held Ionia's monarchy. The King, the Queen and their family." He said, the matter-of-fact voice he had used helping Riven avoid thinking too much about past conflicts. "Nowadays, it's the home for Irelia Lito and her brother, the last two remaining people of the Lito dynasty. Here, they discuss political, cultural, economical movements to be held along with the most important families in Ionia, but only they inhabit it, along with the family's servers and us, the guards who serve duty here, too."
That would explain why these rooms are so… quiet, with no people in them.
It would also explain why they look so formal, too.
They kept walking throughout the palace, slowly leaving behind the sterile elegance of blue hues present in the main rooms, to finally reach the warm, wooden tones of the living rooms.
Riven felt anxious at the thought of Irelia Lito, the knowledge that she was in her home now, the cozy settees and the armories on display being evidence enough.
There was a room with a closed door and the guard was about to knock-
Diana's hand on his stopped him, immediately. "I'd like to have a moment with her alone, first."
The guard didn't really know how to proceed. To his eyes, Diana was a higher entity, more than any kind of royalty.
Basically, a Goddess.
...But Irelia was Irelia. His people's Irelia.
"I can't let you in without warning her, first."
Diana looked at Leona and Riven, trying to come up with an idea, for she couldn't have Irelia seeing Riven in front of other people; she was certain Irelia would recognize her immediately and that would cause trouble.
"Then introduce only me, escort my friends back to another room in the palace. I'd like to have a word with Irelia, alone."
The guard nodded. "That much I can do, My Chosen."
So he knocked.
The voice that answered had Riven's breath hitching in her throat.
"Yes?" Came a strong, yet at the same time smooth, female voice.
"My Captain, there's someone here who'd like an audience with you."
There was a beat of silence. Then, "Let them come in."
The guard then nodded at Diana and ushered Riven and Leona outside, the former battling him a little bit, kind of scared of leaving Diana's side.
Diana smiled at her, I'll be fine, she mouthed.
And when they were out of sight, Diana opened the door.
A woman was standing there, in the middle of the room that appeared to be her office. A desk sat in the middle of the room, chairs on each side of it, the Ionian Captain occupying the one on the other side, facing the door. Bookshelves took over the walls, except for the one behind Irelia, for it was taken over a big window that looked out at all of Ionia, and papers filled up the desk's surface, delicate yet strong hands flipping them over, cold, calculating eyes inspecting them.
Then Irelia looked up at Diana as the Empyrean closed the door behind her.
Immediately, she dropped what she was doing and stood up from her seat.
As she slowly made her way towards Diana, the Chosen Of The Moon took her in.
Her hair was long and dark, though it didn't reach black; it was blueish, just like her eyes. She was wearing a deep red and blue kind of suit that hugged her frame and, as she came to stand right in front of her, Diana noticed they were of the same height, just like Riven with Leona.
She saw the Captain's calm eyes go all over her, "Silver eyes, silver hair." Irelia said with her strong voice, "But I don't see the curved blade."
Diana put her hands between them, her palms up and slowly her khopesh reappeared, the Empyrean offering it to the Ionian for further inspection, Irelia gently running her fingers over it. "I didn't think your guards would have been okay with me sporting weapons, so I vanished it."
Irelia chuckled. "They wouldn't have let you in if they had seen this." Then, her fingers ran over the Old Rakkor on the blade, "May life become death after meeting my steel." She read out loud, then raised a brow. "Kind of sadistic, isn't it?"
"The blade was gifted to me by the former Commander of the Ra-Horak, so I believe the choice of words is kind of fitting, actually. It was later on blessed by the Moon, becoming the Crescent Blade." She answered, watching as Irelia nodded. "Didn't imagine you'd know how to read the Old Rakkor."
"I've been learning on my free time, trying to become a better, cleverer warrior." Irelia confessed, watching Diana as her weapon vanished once more. "I'm still learning, though." Then her eyes, as they moved over Diana's face, landed on the Lunari symbol on her forehead, making a frown adorn her features. "Now, that's something unexpected. The symbol of the Moon?"
"My former masters branded me with it after accusing me of heresy. Nowadays it's just a reminder of what foolish people with power can do." Diana answered.
"I see." It made Irelia smirk. "I'd believe you're angry at them."
Diana's head lolled to a side as she shrugged. "I have no resentment towards those who aren't worth it. My mission in life is greater than holding grudges."
It surprised the Captain Of The Guard. "That's admirable of you. I know I'd be pissed." She said, then turned and walked back to her seat, offering Diana the chair that was right in front, on the other side of the desk, near her.
But as Diana gently refused to seat, Irelia felt the need to mimic, by standing nearby her own chair, propping herself up with her hands on the backrest. "I'm surprised you let me in without asking for my identity first."
Irelia's smirk remained. "If you made it to the Placidium being escorted by my guards and announced in such a fashion, I know you pose no threat. That's why you were allowed." Then she felt Irelia's stare all over her once more, "I can't believe it's actually true; all of the prophecies announcing your return."
Diana raised a brow. "My return?"
"Well, not exactly your return…"
"Diana."
Irelia nodded. "Diana. It's a pleasure to meet you. The prophecies don't exactly announced your return, but the Chosen Of The Moon's. It's been centuries since the last time Runeterra saw one of you."
Diana smirked. "Did your prophecies only speak of me?" She asked in a teasing tone.
Irelia chuckled. "Oh, no. They also talked about your counterpart. Just like the Sun and the Moon chase each other on the sky, we knew you couldn't come back without the Chosen Of The Sun doing so, too. We only give you more importance because we follow the Moon instead of the Sun." Then she realized she had never introduced herself, blushing a bit as she added, "I'm Irelia, Captain of the Ionian guard."
Diana chuckled. "I know who you are, Irelia."
The blue haired woman sighed, "How noticeable is it, the fact that I'm bad at this whole ruling a country thing?"
Diana shook her head. "It's not noticeable at all."
Then Diana's eyes locked on Irelia's face.
On Irelia's young face.
As young as Riven.
And already at the forefront of a country.
"It's too much responsibility, don't you think?" She mused out loud, watching as Irelia's eyes locked on hers. "For someone so young, I mean." She added then, wishing to avoid misconceptions.
Irelia frowned as she made it to the side of the desk, her back to it, her hands on its' surface, keeping her up. "I hope you don't find offense in my words, My Chosen, but you don't look so old yourself." She said, then looked away, as if deep in thought. "Diana of the Rakkor, I assume you once were, nowadays the Chosen Of The Moon, with a scar on her forehead and the shine of youth in her eyes." She looked at Diana again, "Don't you think you're too young for the role you're to play in this life, too?"
Diana was surprised at how bold she was with her words, never being anything but polite, though. She decided she liked Irelia, in a different way to how she liked Riven, so she smirked when she said, "Do not let my age confuse you. I may be as young as you, but my Mistress grants me her knowledge from time to time, teaching me more about the past, helping me decide the future."
Irelia smiled. "Your talk demonstrates your wisdom. I don't doubt your fit for your job." Then Irelia looked away, folding her arms in front of her. "And I'll admit that I was not cut for mine. I was fine being a dancer. I was fine being a soldier. I don't really know how fine I am with ruling Ionia." She frowned, then. "It's too much power, too much responsibility."
Diana approached her, placing her hand on Irelia's shoulder. "I say you should take it one day at a time. No one is born knowing everything. We learn from mistakes and experiences, despite what any scholar might tell you, about how you learn from textbooks and studying, instead."
Irelia huffed a small laugh. "Sounds like you know about them."
"I used to be one of them, so I'm talking from experience."
Irelia turned to fully face Diana. "Diana Of The Moon, your life story is one to be told and one I'd be willing to listen."
Diana laughed. "It's a very long tale, but I'd be glad to share, one day."
Irelia slowly nodded as she smiled at Diana. "You know, Ionia is in deep change, now." She suddenly confessed, walking to the window and looking out at her city through it. "People who want to stay the same, people who want to protect balance, people who seek peace and then people like me, who wish to fight back the tyranny that struck us down." She turned to look at Diana. "It's hard to rule over such a contradictory place, it's hard to please everyone, to keep them all happy."
"If there's something I've learned in my past is that you can't keep everyone happy."
"That's right," Irelia agreed. "It's impossible to do as much and we shouldn't fear change."
"I'm surprised you'd want to fight back, though." Diana mused, very aware of the Ionian's words.
As if looking for her words, the Captain looked around the office for a moment, before speaking again, "The Irelia of the past would have agreed with you." She finally said. "The Irelia of the past, the one that relied on her brother and her father, would have sought balance and peace." Then her eyes grew colder, "But that Irelia is dead. She's not the one standing in front of you, today. The one you're seeing is one that has lived through battles." She locked eyes with Diana. "I have witnessed the darkest monstrosities Noxus is capable of in order to invade and conquer. I refuse to stand idle while they go around, thinking they can torture whoever's in their way."
She turned and looked out the window again. Ionia had recovered itself, but her keen eyes could see through the veil; she could see the damage that was hidden behind bandages. "They damaged these lands, traumatised the people, divided us into different points of view, created conflict. As balance demands, they must be damaged in return."
Then Irelia sighed, "But you didn't come this long way just to hear me rant. I sense you had your reasons." She turned to look at Diana again, "How may I be of your service, My Chosen?"
Diana smiled at her, finding it funny how one's words would always anticipate the other's. "You spoke with truth, Irelia. I have my own motives to have come this far but, if only to keep being honest with you, I must confess I have not traveled Runeterra alone." She saw Irelia was about to speak and quickly anticipated it, "The Chosen Of The Sun has come with me, too, for there's a hatchet we have to bury, together, for there are mistakes made on both of our sides, but she didn't travel alongside me, joining our journey later on. There's a third woman who came with us, the one I wish to talk to you about."
"And who would she be?"
"I met her a long time ago, in the middle of the woods. She was the one who suggested my destiny awaited me here. She knows her destiny's here, too, and it involves you." Diana said, watching as Irelia frowned. Before she spoke, she finally added, "I do not believe it's my place to reveal her identity. You should be able to recognize her when you see her."
Irelia was confused to no end. "But why is her destiny linked to me? What is it that you're asking me to do, Chosen One?"
Then Diana was walking towards her and, with her gentle manners, holding both of the Captain's hands with her own. "I need you to come with me, in peace, and meet my friend. I think it would tie loose ends on both sides of the story."
Irelia seemed to be doubtful of Diana's wish. She was pondering it inside her head.
Diana remained quiet, her eyes doing the insisting.
After a silent moment, she finally agreed. "Fine."
Diana was beaming with joy. "She should be in the main hall of the Placidium, waiting for us."
"Lead the way, Chosen." Irelia said then, closely following Diana throughout the same path she had walked to her office in the first place.
Hall after hall, room after room they walked, noticing the somewhat uncanny lack of soldiers in the rooms nearby the one they had to reach. Still, neither of them commented on it.
Then they finally reached the Main Hall.
Both of them first looked at Leona, who turned around to look at them at the sound of the doors opening.
"Diana, I'm guessing she's Irelia, isn't she?" Leona quickly asked, approaching them as she did so.
Irelia bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, Chosen Of The Sun."
Leona mimicked her and bowed, too. "The honor's mine, Captain." She smiled at her. "You're a legend across Runeterra, already."
Irelia huffed a laugh. "Seems no one can learn how to mind their own business in this World."
Leona chuckled at that. "Our Demacian friends would know about that." And she had to fight her laughter as she saw Irelia groan and roll her eyes.
"Please, do not mention them in my presence. They tire me to no end."
"Oh, believe me, they tire me too."
Then Irelia's eyes landed on a figure who was standing a few steps back, her back to them. In silence, she looked at Diana with a question in her eyes, to which the Empyrean answered with a small nod of her head.
Slowly, Irelia walked towards the woman, leaving Leona and Diana behind.
Diana brought her mouth closer to Leona's ear. "Where are the guards?"
"I used my status as Chosen, thank you for confirming it to them, to persuade them that we'd be better off alone." She looked at Diana with a certain strong emotion in her eyes. "Wouldn't want this meeting to go bad in front of a big crowd." She finally said.
Then Diana realized Leona was as anxious as she was.
They could only watch, now.
"I believe you're the Chosen Of The Moon's friend." Irelia said as she walked towards the white haired woman, the Captain somewhat wary, though it didn't show on her demeanor. She came to a stop a foot away from her. "I'm Irelia Lito."
Then Irelia stared as, slowly, the taller woman turned around.
The calm that was on her face was gone, replaced by a frown as she scanned the familiar face.
Riven stared with a quivering bottom lip, desperation in her red eyes. "Irelia."
The blue haired woman was taken aback. "Who…?" Then she shook her head no, looking back at Diana. "Who is she?" She asked her, then looked back at Riven, "Who are you?"
Then Riven, silently, unstrapped Leona's shield, letting it fall to the floor with a loud clang.
And she brought up her broken blade, showing it to Irelia.
"You know exactly who I am."
And as quiet as a whisper, as realization hit her, Irelia murmured, "Riven."
And before anyone could do anything, the Blade Dancer called upon her deadly blades, making them dart towards the Noxian.